Sonny's Corner

Sonny Foster "Sonny's Corner" is a regular column in Prairie Fire, featuring commentary on civil rights and justice issues. Our friend and Omaha colleague, Joseph P. "Sonny" Foster, died suddenly at age 54 in August 2005. He left an uncompleted agenda, as did many of our civil rights and justice mentors and heroes. We shall attempt to move forward on that unfinished agenda through this column.

As the countdown to digital TV conversion continues, civil rights groups have stepped forward to properly point out the fact that many members of minority communities still depend upon the over-the-air delivery of radio and television broadcasts.

Accordingly, we present more details from a recent statement by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Educational Fund. By placing this subject in Prairie Fire, we hope that our readers will make every effort to check on friends in the community who still may not be aware of the mandated conversion and how it might negatively affect the well being of themselves and their families.

After the release of information that points toward a lack of government funding, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF) held a press conference call to discuss the DTV converter box coupon program and steps consumers need to take to navigate the digital television transition that will occur on Feb. 17.

In a little more than a month, millions of American households will change the way they watch television when most TV stations stop sending analog over-the-air signals. Communities of color, people who rely on languages other than English, low-income working families, older Americans and people with disabilities who rely on over-the-air TV will be most affected.

LCCREF and the Consumers Union made recommendations to families navigating the DTV transition, urged sufficient funding for the DTV convertor box coupon program and appealed to retailers to stock affordable converter box options for low-income families.

“If you use rabbit ears or a rooftop antenna for over-the-air television signals, you will need a converter box. Without cable, satellite, a digital TV set or a converter box, your old television won’t get most TV stations,” said Mark Lloyd, vice president for strategic initiatives at the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and a noted telecommunications expert. “During these difficult economic times, many people are worried that they may need to buy an expensive new television or subscribe to a paid service, such as cable. They don’t. But they do need to get a converter box.”

Of the 21 million households that rely on over-the-air television, nearly half have incomes under $30,000 and an estimated one-third or more over-the-air viewers have disabilities.

“It’s critical that Congress work closely with NTIA to ensure that every American that needs a coupon has a chance to get one. We know that leaders on the Hill are working hard to find additional funding to minimize the problems this transition may present and to ensure that particularly vulnerable communities aren’t left in the dark,” said Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund.

“Now, more than ever, retailers must act responsibly by stocking affordable converter boxes,” said Joel Kelsey, a policy analyst at Consumers Union, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. Kelsey also advised retailers to stock converter boxes that include features critical to viewers with disabilities such as closed captioning.

Converter boxes cost approximately $40 to $70. The converter box is a one-time cost. It does not come with any monthly fees. There are more than 20 approved digital converter boxes with varying features—some are better suited to rural areas or people with disabilities. For example, some boxes may be better for people who rely on closed captioning. For more information on converter box options, go to ConsumersUnion.com.

For more information on the DTV transition, call 1-888-388-2009, 1-877-530-2634 (TTY) or visit www.DTV2009.gov.

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